José Rodrigues to race in TCR Italy for Target Competition

Portuguese driver José Rodrigues will race for Target Competition in a third Honda Civic Type R FK2 TCR, joining Marco Pelligrini and Jurgen Schmarl at the team as it makes it assault for both the TCR Europe and Italy titles.

28-year-old Rodrigues drove for Target in the first five rounds of the 2017 TCR Germany Touring Car Championship, as well as making a one-off appearance with the team at his home round of the European Touring Car Cup at Vila Real, also in the ninth-generation Civic.

Rodrigues’ best result in the 2017 TCR Germany season was fourth in the opening race at Oschersleben, while he was briefly credited with a podium finish in the ETCC race at Vila Real until a post-race penalty dropped him to fourth after he was deemed to have cut the track to pass the SEAT of Igor Stefanovski.

Target Competition will run the three Civics for Rodrigues, Schmarl and Pelligrini in TCR Italy, leaving the German series after winning the last two titles with Josh Files, and will field a trio of Hyundai i30 N TCRs in TCR Europe for Reese Barr, Kris Richard and Dusan Borkovic this year.